


The cover can be deceiving

by Kojoti



Category: Barduil - Fandom, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-19 17:34:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3618366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kojoti/pseuds/Kojoti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thranduil is the proud owner of a coffee shop selling books on the side and finds his whole world turned up side down when a mysterious man Named Bard Bowman comes along.</p><p>They both have secrets each one suspects will push the other one away if they had to find out, but yet their just to drawn to one another to just simply stay away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this story has not been proof read  
> I am aware that there are many spelling errors as English is not my first language.  
> My apologies

Oropher Books and Coffee shop – New York City

Thranduil had to admit that as much as he loved his little shop always buzzing with coffee-freaks or book lovers, sometimes both, days like this was just so easy to love.  
It was coming down cats and dogs outside witch resulted in a slight hick-up in the amount of people that came in, instead of the constant stream of take away coffee orders he now had a few people just looking for some shelter from the rain cuddled up at their table with a cup of warm coffee and here and there a hot meal. Teens where huddled up at the back of the store with a good fictional novel in the lap also hugging at a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

He didn’t mind the kids reading the books in store as long as they understood that if it picked up any damage that he would have to charge them, after all this was not the library.  
So for the first time in weeks, Thranduil actually had a moment to take a look at the bills he has been avoiding all month only to pause as something outside the window caught his attention.

Outside hugging his face closer to the window and his back turned to the rain Thranduil saw a man having trouble to light up his cancer-stick.

The man seemed, well – superior in some way even though he was dressed in his black designer jeans a dark grey sweater with a double breasted trench coat drawn over it, his nearly black hair smoothed back into his neck making the tips flap up around his coat where it peeked out from under his black beanie. His high cheek-boned face was accompanied by a neatly trimmed goatee, with fine lips and deeply set eyes to dark to make out from where Thranduil was standing, he suspected that the man must be a business man of some kind, but he looked like he had a style of his own and he didn’t care of what people may think but what really caught Thranduil’s attention was the fact that he seemed stressed maybe even tired as he thought against the wind.

Thranduil expected the man to continue on his way after he finely got that cigarette lit-up but instead, the man leaned into the wall of the store and planted his foot against it, his hand holding his cigarette coming to rest on his lifted knee every time he lingered the smoke within his lungs.

By the time Thranduil realised that he was staring the stranger outside stabbed his cigarette bud out beneath his boot and “Oh shit his coming in!” Thranduil mentally panicked as he hurried to pretend that he was busy with the bills and was defiantly not staring just a second ago. 

Stepping into Oropher’s, the store Bard have been threatening to come and see for himself after friend after friend told him about it, he was pleasantly surprised at what he had found.  
It was not what he had expected from looking at the light-olive green painted store from outside with a wooden logo of a cup of coffee on top of a closed book, found above the door, the spine of the book holding the carved out words- Oropher’s. 

The inside was surprisingly spacious with all kinds of light wooden furnisher set out on a tile floor in malty colours of browns, while the walls where made of smooth light brown coloured marble while large marble tiles came down in Colom’s against the walls in colour of dark torques greens and blues mixed in one with in every five feet.

The wooden tables where smooth with a try filled with sugar-boll’s and sugar cookies alongside, each in a small black bowl enough for at least two people depending on the table size. Above the lights where consistent of Dear antlers designed in a very appealing manner while folk music played all across the store.

A counter with bar stools where found on the other side of store across from the door with three people doing their best to keep up with all the orders coming in, though it was probably slower than usual as it was raining cats and dogs. And way on the other side of the store past a seat of glass windows and an open entrance the book department could be seen with all kinds of reading arias for you to sit down and read in store if you so choose.

But what really caught Bard’s attention was one of the three men standing behind the bar, very much interested at the bills beneath his nose. He was like no other man Bard had ever seen in his life, with pail white skin, dark thick eyebrows with silver white hair pooled back into a messy bun behind his head while dressed in a white t-shirt with the first two buttons at his collar left open exposing a smooth pail chest, along with an olive-green slim-fit-buttoned cardigan sweater left open. As Bard watched the man set down his mail and come out from behind the counter he was surprised to see the sweater hanging down all the way to mid-thigh alongside badge skinny jeans and black boot tomy-takkies.

“Are you meeting with someone, sir?” the man asked as he stepped closer and lifted a hand with three very unique rings set across his very slim, very long fingers, to move a stray strand of hair back into place behind his ear.

Smiling at the shade of grey eyes staring back at him, Bard shook his head lightly, “Afraid it will just be me, I was just taking a moment to take in your unique setup as your reputation precedes you.”

“It’s always nice to hear that we are reaching so many ears out there.” The man said as he showed Bard to a two seated table, giving Bard a glimpse at his name tag as he turned.

“Tell me, Thran-” Bard took a moment to look at the name tag one more time before making a fool of himself by pronouncing it wrongly, “Thranduil,” he said testing the foreign name on his tongue while looking up into toughs grey eyes, “Is it allowed to enjoy one of your books while in the coffee shop?”

“Yes, just know, that if it’s damaged in any way in the process you’ll have to pay for it?” Thranduil said kindly and was about to turn and get his guest a menu.

“And,” Bard said quickly nearly leaning over to grab the man’s hand just to get to look at his grey eyes a second longer and hear his voice one more time, “What would you recommend, anything of late you’ve read that might tickle my interest.”

Smiling Thranduil turned to look at Bard, his grey eyes hiding something behind them Bard was not quit shore of what, “And what kind of things usually tickles you’re interests?” 

“Well, I seem to find you quite tickling…” Bard said as he held his breath not shore what the confession would bring or cost, but to his surprise the one of a kind man in front of him simply smiled, only the lightest of blush settling in on his high cheekbones.

“Mystery, murder and sex, the usual” Bard said after a moment of enjoying to watch the man squirm under his gaze, daring him to take up his offer. 

“I think I might just have the thing.” The towering man answered and slapped a menu down in front of Bard before leaving into the book store. 

 

This was unexpected to say the least, never had Thran expected this man to even notice him and now the dark stranger was making a pass at him! Very unexpected indeed…

Making his way through the different sections of the book shelf Thran snorted at the idea of having a moment with that man, he had too many responsibility’s, he didn’t have time to play around with the hot dark mysterious man offering things he can’t even bring himself to think about.

One night with that man and Thran knew he wouldn’t stand a chance to stay away, he could barely keep his eyes off him now, but he would, he would stop looking, stop string all together and just simply stay away completely, ‘well after he gave him this.’ Thran thought

Thran took a moment to look down at the thick novel he had pooled from the book shelf under the mystery section. It was one of his favoured books, he had a copy of his own in his book shelf upstairs, and he read it at least once a year usually over the festive season. 

Taking a deep breath before he turned, Thran made his way back to the table where his very own mystery was waiting, he really was a very attractive man as the gloomy light making its way through the window and onto his dark features.

He hadn’t noticed Thran return until Thran placed the book down over his menu, drawing the man’s attention away from whatever he was looking at across the street. 

“An old spy-novel?” Came the surprise as he looked up at Thran and that’s when Thran realised he had the strangest shade of dark olive-green eyes, like Thran had never seen before, he even wandered if it could be contacts but decided against it as it was just to unique.

“It’s a real good mystery, you know behind the murder and the sex.” Thran said with a smile, what would you like to drink, sir?”

“Bard.”

“Sorry?” Thran said with a frown.

“My name is Bard, as to being called sir.” The stranger- Bard said with another inviting smile.

“Well Bard what can I get you?” Thran asked again with his own smile.

“I here you have quit the collection of different coffee blends, I like my coffee strong and black, perhaps you can surprise me.”

“Very well.” Thran said as he once again turned on his heel and got to work on Bard’s cup of coffee, it was probably Tehran’s strongest blend, but Bard did say he liked it strong, surely if he didn’t like it he would say so, so Thran returned placing the cup down in front of Bard and smiled kindly before he turned to leave, this time planning on giving the table over to one of his waiters. 

“Why an old spy novel, and not something more modern?” Came the question that brought Thran to a halt and forced him to face his own mystery once more.

“I just – well, you seem like a man whom appreciates the finer things in life, so to you it would be less about the high-tech gadgets and more about the people and their experience, older novels just stick to the people and the mystery other than the modern hoop-la.”

“Hoop-la?” Bard said more to tease as to a question. 

“My sentiments exactly.”

This made Bard laugh all throaty and full heartedly, “You’re a mystery all on your own aren’t you Thranduil?”

“Look whom’ talking, enjoy your coffee.” Thran said as he hurried away, afraid that one more second would have him take a seat and never say goodbye, this ‘Bard’ was dangerous to the life he had finely found some balance to, he just couldn’t let this man close enough to let him loos that balance, not now. 

Making his way behind the counter and back over to the bills he had left behind Thran kept an eye on Bard while paying his bills over the internet on the laptop he had set up behind the counter.

Bard had stayed much longer than Thran had expected, sipping at his coffee and reading his novel as he lounged on his chair near the window. 

About an hour into his paper work after finishing off all his bills, Thran left to go check on a problem in the kitchen only to return twenty minutes later to find Bard’s chair empty, his loaned book and cup left behind on the table.

Taking a damp cloth Thran moved over to the table and paused at taking the cup to find not only was there at least half a cup left, but there was a note left in the book well into the first half of the novel. 

Setting the cup back down Thran picked up the book and opened it up to where the note was found to find a rather appealing hand writing swirled down on the little peas of white paper.

This is really a good read, keep it for me if you can,  
I’ll come perches it tomorrow.  
-B. Bowman

 

Smiling Thran closed the book after folding over the top of the page gently too keep his place and tucked it under his arm as he picked up the cup and cleaned the table off with the damp cloth before heading back to the counter to place the book down in a safe aria before taking the cup back to the kitchen.

 

*.*.*

 

Bard returned the next day as he said he would, as did he the day after that, and each day of the next two weeks, he had indeed purchased that book and sat reading it every day he came in, ordering the same cup of coffee every time even though he never finished the entire cup and Thranduil was not oblivious to the fact that Bard flirted with Thran every chance he got, and yes maybe Thran flirted back but that didn’t mean he really wasn’t trying to stay away, it was just getting harder and harder the more Bard came around.

And then after nearly three weeks Thran came to clean off his table and keeping his newly found novel till he could perches it tomorrow only to find a business card as his note this time.

 

Care for a cup of coffee outside of work, maybe dinner?  
Call me…  
-B. Bowman

 

Bard’ neatly swirled writing left on the back to catch Thran off guard completely, one would think after all the flirting this would not have surprised Thran, but it really did, Bard Bowman wanted to spend time with him outside the coffee shop and that just wouldn’t end well, so he was sincerely grateful for the time he was taking off, at this precise time, in order to take some personal space up at the cost line as he did every year.

But that didn’t mean as he spent his days at the little house on the beach that Thran didn’t think of Bard, it was nearly all he thought about as he went about his days enjoying the off time and allowing himself the things he found he didn’t do as much as he should have…

 

*.*.*

 

“Welcome back boss!” Tauriel called happily as Thran made his way into the store after making his usual drop at the day-care around the corner, “How was your trip?” She asked taking half his luggage from him and helping him up the hidden stairs around the corner leading into the upstairs loft.

“Good, good finely got to finish that book I started in the beginning of the year, and the weather was nice, we spent an offal lot of time on the beach, I really saw a change in him, and it was just what we both needed.” Thran said smiling as he thought of the fun he had with the one person whom meant everything to him.

“See told you a break couldn’t have come at a better time.” Tauriel said smiling back as they sat the bags down by the door and returned back down stairs to get the day started.

“Any troubles while the cat was gone?” Thran asked Tauriel as he helped her get the chairs down from the tables and full up the sugar and biscuit bowls.

“None what so ever, though your friend has been here every day asking about your return every morning even though he already knew the answer.” Tauriel said with a too big smile for Thran’ taste.

“What friend would that be?” He asked playing dumb even though he knew very well that she was referring to Bard Bowman. 

“Oh come now Thranduil, you know very well of whom I’m talking about,” Tauriel said with her hands on her hips, “that extremely hansom man coming in here every day, ordering the same cup of coffee he can barely get down just to see you.”

“It’s not like that…” Thran bluffed as he turned on the coffee pots and other appliances they would soon need for the breakfast rush. 

“Thran it’s okay to have some fun every now and then, and that man is defiantly fun!” 

“Tauriel, I have responsibilities, responsibilities I can’t move aside for my own wants and to tell Bard yes would just be leading him on, besides I’m shore he would lose interest as fast as he had come the moment he found out the truth.” Thran said a pang of disappointment tightening his chest at the mere thought of Bard losing interest.

“You can’t know that boss, he doesn’t seem like the kind of man just to back off.”

“How about you back off and get to work!” Thran hissed over his shoulder as he was toping up the salt and pepper canisters. 

The silence that followed told Thran that Tauriel was considering to press the subject but that she knew of better as she stalked into the kitchen, the front door opening up as the other waiters poured through the door. 

 

The day passed in a rush of never ending clients coming and going only slowing down barley just after three giving Thranduil his first chance of the day to sit down and catch a breath. 

He hadn’t seen Bard today and suspected that he wouldn’t as it was way past the time he really came around, but maybe it was a blessing as Thran wasn’t really in the mood to let the man down.

As he took a seat his long fingered hands sunk down onto his forehead and into his hair as he tried not to constraint on the pain lingering in his feet. 

“Long day?” Came a voice Thran knew all too well.

Looking up, Thran found Bard standing on the other side of the counter, dressed in dark blue jeans and a white buttoned shirt neatly tucked in with the sleeves rolled back to meet his elbows, a large smile spread across his strong face as he looked at Thran with toughs green eyes.

“Just busy, would you like you’re usual?” Thran asked finding his feet.

“Would you take the time to have a cup with me?” Bard asked frowning and Thran knew it was because he was trying to give Bard the cold shoulder.

“It’s really busy- ”

“Take a beet, boss,” Tauriel said as she took over from where he was working at making Bard’s coffee, “you haven’t sat down today.”

Glaring at his overly pushy waiter, whom he usually adored but not today, Thran stepped out from behind the counter and joined the man at the table near the back.

 

“You never called me…” Bard hinted as he took his seat watching the towering man as he stretched his long legs out in front of him, leaning back into his chair like every bone in his body was hurting.”

“Usually that’s when you’re supposed to take a hint, don’t you think?” Came the cold reply, but Bard wasn’t fooled, for the way Thranduil looked away as he hissed the words he knew there was more to this than Thran simply not being interested.

“So no dinner then?” Bard pushed in the attempt to see what this was really about.

“Look,” Thranduil said as he leaned closer, “you seem like a great guy, someone I could really grow fond of, but your timing is off, I have other responsibilities, responsibilities that I just can’t set aside so that I could go on a date with you.”

“The store seemed to do fine while you were gone.” Bard said trying to understand what the man meant.

“It’s not about the store…” Thran said softly his grey eyes once again finding his lap as he hugged himself, dressed pretty much like the day when Bard first came in except today his skinny jeans where black, with a white t-shirt with fine black stripes and a slim fit buttoned cardigan sweater left open to go with it in the same shade of black as this of his jeans, his silver hair was once again drawn back in a bun and the rings he never took off still accompanying his long fingers. 

The more Bard looked at Thran the more he wondered what it would look like if Thranduil was to let his long hair down, or what it would feel like if Bard was to reach over and take hold of toughs long fingers. He really hoped that one day he would get the chance to find out.

“Look,” Thranduil begun, bringing Bard out of his fantasy, “my responsibility is about to walk in here and I won’t hold it against you if you change your mind…” he trailed off as he found his feet, causing Bard to sit up in the attempt to find his own feet but the look Thran gave him stopped him dead in his tracks, “In fact it would probably be best if you did, it would be best for both of us.” 

 

Bard was left staring after Thran with his mouth hanging open in confusion as he watched him go, watched as Thranduil made his way over to the front door greeting a black haired woman with a kiss to her cheek as a little boy of about five crashed into his leg while calling happily “Ada!” 

The woman he greeted was beautiful in every way possible dressed in a lovely flowing long summers dressed accompanied by a jean jacket and a brown leaver belt around her waist, her hair about the length Bard suspected Thran’ would be if he had to let it loos. At first he thought she was Thran’ wife but when she handed him the childes backpack and said her goodbyes with out any sine of affection Bard had to wonder if maybe she was the baby sitter?

The little boy on the other hand was something to behold, he had the same shade of silver hair as this of Thranduil cut to fall into his neck onto his little shoulders, over his ears and past his little dark eyebrows. By the way the little boy brushed at the hairs in his eyes Bard could tell he wasn’t very fond of the style as he clung to Thranduil leaning his head into the man’s leg and looking around the shop, smiling at the red haired waiter in a shy manner. He was beautiful to say the least and his eyes where even more mesmerising than this of Thranduil’s. Bard could tell by simply looking at the boy that Thranduil went out of his way to make shore the boy was well dressed and well taken care of.

He was dressed in the latest dark blue jeans with little white sneakers, along with a light blue t-shirt with some form of anime hero printed onto the front while he had his light green hoodie throne loosely over his shoulders for the walk over here.

 

So Thran was a Father, a Father trying to look after the interests of his little boy by not getting involved by the likes of Bard.

Bard had to admit it wasn’t what he had expected but what really bothered him was that Thranduil had thought he would just give up once he knew about the boy, But at the same time it made him wonder if he was to try and pursue Thran once again if the shop owner would still push him away simply because this time it was about fear and not about the boy…


	2. Chapter 2

Thranduil could still feel the lingering after effects of his shower as he stepped out of his bedroom and down the hall to look in on Legolas, it had been one hell of a long day and he had just managed to get Leggie into bed about an hour ago, but as he peeked past the bedroom door all closed up with posters and drawings of the boy’s favoured interests from TV shows, movies, video games and even books, he found his son fast asleep curled up in his bed snug as a bug.

Closing the door behind him as he made his way to the sitting room in the idea of watching a little TV before going to bed Thranduil once again felt the pang to his chest as his thoughts once again jumped at the memory of Bard Bowman.

Thranduil hadn’t seen Bard in nearly three days and it nearly killed him to know it disappointed him this much, he had practically told the man to take a hick, he had no right to be pinning over a man he was so rude to, besides the fact that he was a single Father probably had the man running for the hills and he couldn’t really blame him.  
Refusing to let his thoughts get the best of him, Thranduil headed down stairs instead and down into the book store to get his hands on that new Stephen King novel that had arrived the day before.

He was just about to head back upstairs when a knock on the front door nearly gave him a severe heart attack.

Placing the novel down on the closest table Thranduil walked over to the door and pooled the certain to the side, his eyes going wide to find Bard standing on the other side of the door. Swallowing Thran told him with a show of his finger to give him one second as he spun around to go get the keys out of the draw behind the counter.

Returning Thran made quick work of opening the door, pausing within the fresh hold as he took in his unexpected guest. He was dressed in jeans with a black tight fitted t-shirt showing off the broadness of his trained arms and upper body. “What are you doing here, it’s late.” Thran said frowning as he realised it must have been past ten by now.

“I was heading home from a friends when I saw the lights were still on,” Thran watched as Bard’s green eyes took in his pyjama-bottoms and his white t-shirt and his bare feet, “You live here?” Came the taken aback question.

“In the upstairs loft, I came down to get a book.” Thran said hugging at his own arms as a cold wind came past Bard and washed over his bare arms.

“Would you mind if I asked for one of your cups of coffees?” Bard asked as he didn’t move a mussel like he was afraid that it would scare Thran off. 

“You don’t even like my coffee,” Thran said with a smile as he stepped to the side so that Bard could come in, he wasn’t about to let the chance down to hear about what the man had to say. 

“It’s a really strong blend.” Bard admitted as he stepped inside and watched Thran closely as he closed the door behind them.

“You could have asked for a lighter blend.” Thranduil said shaking his head as he moved over to where he had left his book and moved on to where the stairs where hidden behind the corner past the kitchen.

“I didn’t want to offend you by telling you that I didn’t like it.” Bard said lingering in the front as if he was under the impression that Thran was coming back.

“Hi, you gonna stay out there all night or are you gonna come up?” Thran called down the hall from the stairs.  
“Oh sorry!” Bard said with a blush as he hurried over.

 

Bard hadn’t intended on coming here tonight, but it seemed like Thranduil was willing to hear him out so he didn’t waste any time to get over to the stairs where Thran was already making his way up tortes the loft.

Following Thran into the loft he was surprised at what he found. It wasn’t just a part of the store’s second floor turned into a living aria but the entire space, with an open plan living room set up on a platform with comfortable looking sofas is grey with light wooden frame work, a coffee table of the same wood set down in the center of the room with a flat screen TV up against the wall over a small bookcase filled with dvd’s and video games, mostly of the anime selection.

His kitchen was found to the left of the open plan-space in front of him, with smooth whites and light wooden frameworks accompanied by tasteful appliances and plants to round off the room, his plates stacked up on a shelf above the counter top and a soft looking rug throne down in the centre, Bard suspected it was for when the boy wanted to play by his Fathers feet as Thranduil prepared dinner. 

Down the hall four other doors could be seen aside from the bathroom near the front door, but as nice as the place seemed Bard didn’t much care to look any longer, but rather at the towering man whom was making his way into the kitchen. Thran had finely let down his hair and it was just as long and as silky looking as Bard had expected, all he wanted to do was run his fingers through it to find out if it was as soft as it looked. 

“How about some hot chocolate aside from my too strong coffee.” Thranduil suggested as he brought too cups down from a shelf on the over end of the kitchen closer to the kettle.

“That would sit better, thank you.” Bard said smiling as he looked around the room till he found a wall of photos near the hallway.

He smiled at the smiling faces in the frames, taken from right here in this apartment, down stairs in the shop or somewhere outside, maybe a park. Closer to the hall where were photos of a slightly younger Thranduil, a very small boy in his arms and a beautiful woman leaning into them both lovingly. She too was blond but not as uniquely as Thran or the boy and she had light green eyes not blue but she was beautiful probably the closest to perfection Bard had ever seen.

“You must have a world of questions looking at that.” Came Thranduil’s voice from behind and Bard didn’t have to look around to know the hot chocolate was ready, he could smell it.

“She was truly beautiful.” Bard said as he turned away from the wall of photos to face the man behind him, “Thank you.” He said taking the cup Thran was holding out to him, smiling at the little marshmallows on the top, “Cute.” He teased as he made his way over to the sitting aria.

“Sorry it’s a force of habit, Leggie won’t touch the cup if there’s no marshmallows to go with it.

“Leggie?” Bard said smiling as he tested the name on his tongue while taking a seat.

“Well actually it’s Legolas, but I mostly call him Leggie or Little leaf.”

“That is a very unique name, you both have names I’ve never heard before.”

“I can’t exactly clarify how I got mine, but Legolas was given his name by his mother whom happened to have a thing for mystical creatures, Legolas is the Elvin word for Greenleaf.” Thranduil offered in answer as he took a seat on the other end of the sofa. 

“What happened to her?” Bard asked carefully as he brought his cup up to take a sip of the hot liquid inside.  
“Wrong time, wrong place I suppose, she was killed for money in her purse… on her way home about a year after Leggie was born…”

“I’m so sorry, it must have been hard to raise such a small child on your own.”

“I had a lot of help, I wasn’t alone…”

“It doesn’t make it any easier.” Bard said taking in Thranduil as he tried to be modest about what he had to go through.

“Do you have children?” Thran asked as he placed his still full cup of hot chocolate on the floor next to the sofa.  
“Oh, no, probably never will,” Bard said smiling as he looked down, “I love children, but with my job and lifestyle I just don’t see that happening for me.”

Before Thran had the chance to answer a fit of serious coughs from a little person sounded down the hall and into the open plan sitting aria.

Bard barley had a chance to make sense of it before Thranduil was down the hall.

He could hear a great deal of fuss and some whispering before Thran reappeared with his little boy hugged to his chest, with a blanket that looked like it had been bathed in a puddle of green and yellow leaves , he was dressed in light green long sleeved pyjamas his little feet kicking up under the blanket to hid from the cold, but when Bard took a closer look he nearly tripled in the proses of finding his feet, he could feel his eyes grow wide and his blood running cold the moment he got a good look at the oxygen mask set up around his mesmerizing little face.

“Thran?” Bard whispered as he watched as Legolas had a second fit of coughs while at the same time having trouble fighting to get some air into his little lungs, his entire body heaving inward as he thought against it, his silver blond hair damp with sweat while he moaned into the protective chest of his Father. 

Cooing over his son, Thranduil took a seat with his son and the object that was the source of the oxygen and sadly smiled up at a very bewildered Bard.

“It started when he was a toddler, some nights worse than others.” Came Thran’ reply as he stroked at his son’s back and mad him comfortable in the fold of his lap.

“Is it Asthma?” Bard asked as he hugged himself at the reminder at how Legolas’ little body squirmed with that fit for the fight to breath, Bard didn’t know much bad that seemed pretty painful to the little man now coming to rest against his Fathers chest, his piercing blue eyes struggling to stay open in the comforted of his embrace. 

“You can sit down Bard, he’ll be okay in a few minutes.” Thranduil said smiling up at him, his own pair of grey eyes worming up to something, Bard wasn’t quite shore to what.

“How bad does it get?” Bard asked as he took an uneven seat at the edge of the sofa, not just ready to relax as if a child wasn’t having trouble to breathe right in front of him.

Taking a moment to look down at the nearly sleeping boy in his arms Thran looked back up with an serious amount of fear in his eyes, “As bad as it can get I suppose, like rushing him to the ER in the middle of the night and nearly losing him every time.”

“F-- ” Bard fell silent as he considered not using the words he had in mind while little ears where in shot, “is that why you left, was it to go see a specialist?” 

“No…” Thran said shifting his position to something of more comfort before Leggy really fell asleep, “I’m afraid there isn’t much they can do and the folks whom clam that they can is simply too high above my pay grade, I took him to a more remote location, it progressed as he got older, my doctor suspects it has to do with stress, when I see the warning signs of a serious attack I get him out of town for a little R and R, it seems to help most of the time.”

“But not always…” Bard said in acknowledgment.

“It’s not just asthma… He has a scar on his lung… and the older he gets, the worse it gets… my doctor has been trying to buy him some time before we finely take the steps to get a transplant.”

“I’m sorry, but why wait?” Bard asked uneven as he tried to understand.

“It’s less risky the older he is and then of cause there’s the aspect that once you go down that road it’s something he has to go through every five to ten years… could you force your son into something like that?”

“Five years?” Bard said as his heart sunk to his boots.

“Scary isn’t it?” 

“Why are you so calm about this?” 

“… I’m not calm Bard, I know what’s at risk … it’s just if I panic I leave my son alone in this and I won’t do that… He needs me at my best if we’re going to get through this.”

Taking a deep breath Bard stroked a hand through his hair as he started to understand why Thranduil had been so reluctant to give him a chance. 

“You can run now,” Came Thran’ whisper, “I won’t hold it against you.”

I’m not going anywhere Thran, why do you think I came here tonight, I really want to get to know you and your son better, if only you’d let me…”

I just don’t understand why, why would you want to stick around, especially since what you just learned?” Thran said with a huge frown.

“Because, you still tickle my interest Thran, and just because you’re a caring Father doesn’t mean you’re not worth it.” 

“Okay, but know if for some reason I have to choose at some time, my son will come first no matter how tickling you have become to my interests.” Thranduil said with a very stern look at Bard as he said it.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Good,” Thranduil said finding his feet with a sleeping little leave cuddled up against his chest, “I’m gonna see if I can’t get him back into bed, I’ll be right back.” He says as he makes his way out of the room and down the hall.

 

Taking a moment just to take everything in Bard has just been told it took him a second to really manage and get the hot chocolate down left in his cup as his stomach was in unfamiliar knots.

He had a feeling that after tonight, there was no turning back, he knew too much… felt too much.  
He knew he would not be able to just turn his back on Thran and his son knowing what they were to face in maybe a very short time to come. 

Finding his feet with his cup Bard quietly made his way down the hall as to not wake the little boy hopefully now settling in for the rest of the night. He came to a pause at the open door with faint light spilling out into the hall and smiled warmly as he looked across the room and found that the walls have been covered by a wall sticker of forest trees with sunlight spilling through the greens and yellows, the sun in the form of the wall light set up to look like the sun, the wooden floors where covered with a rather large carpet that looked like the floor of the woods with green and yellow leaves scattered across the dirt, the blanket Legolas was being tucked in with the same look as this of the carpet. His toys where in large wooden crates, everything within the room designed to complete the look of the forest that seemed almost enchanted. 

Taking one long look at Thran as his silver hair light up against the wall lamp as it fell across his shoulder while he lovingly tucked in the sleeping boy beneath him, Bard turned around and headed back tortes the kitchen so he could rinse out his cup, pretty shore that Thran was about to send him home for the night. 

“Would you like another cup?” came Thran’ voice from behind just as Bard placed his rinsed out cup on the drying rack. 

Turning around with a smile Bard looked up at the towering man now in front of him, god he was beautiful, mesmerising to look at no matter whom you were, “No I don’t want to impose any more than I have tonight, I’ll come say hi tomorrow and we can talk about getting together in a way that will suite you and Leggie.”

“Leggie and myself,” Thran said with surprise, “you want to go on a date with me as well as my son?” 

“Yes, I mean clearly you’re a package deal, which means I want to get to know your son too.”

“You’re not going to stop are you, you’ll keep coming until I can’t say no, until my heart can’t stay away, your that man, the one that gets what he wants no matter how big the challenge, aren’t you?” Thran said crossing his arms across his chest like he was try to protect himself from Bard.

“Well I guess you could say that I don’t like hearing no, but don’t we all?”

Bard watched as Thran just stared at him with eyes giving away at how hard he was arguing with himself, clearly he was still having trouble to let Bard in, to let his fatherly instincts stand back even if it was just for a moment he so deserved to take for himself Bard knew it was something Thran wasn’t gonna do easily.

Taking one more moment to just stare back as Thran thought for control over what he had to do and what he wanted to do, Bard lifted a hand and suddenly took a hold of the back of Thran’ neck, pooling in the towering man as he at the same time stepped in closer, lifting himself onto his toes to get a better reach as he turned his head and took Thran’ lips, finely allowing himself the one thing he wanted from the moment he stepped into this apartment. 

As expected Thran was hesitant as Bard took his lips, caressed his lips with his own, savouring the taste, the taste of hot chocolate and everything that was all just pure Thranduil, until he took the chance and stroked his tongue out at toughs soft lips and to Bard’s surprise Thran granted him entrance while his arms finely fell loose to his sides only to come back up to warm his palms in the folds of Bard’s back as they both stepped in closer , their bodies coming together in one fast movement as a welcoming sound left Thran and made its way down Bards waiting mouth.

Just as Thranduil moved his hand and took hold of the side of Bard’s face bard broke free of the kiss he was sure he would remember for the rest of his life, both their breathes coming hard and fast as Bard lowered himself back onto his feet, he took a moment just looking into Thran’ eyes before he finely broke the silence.

 

“You still want to try and tell me you don’t feel it, this, whatever it is that has us this drawn to one another, you still want to tell me you don’t want to have more of it…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long to get up, hopefuly the next will come sooner!

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be adding new chapters wherever I get the chance so please stick around.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are more than welcome. Helps with the inspiration aria as well!


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